Data-marking machine



Aug. 22, 1961 R. w. FERGUSON EIAL 2,996,979

DATA-MARKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

N INVENTORS.

J 'RONALD w. FERGUSON m y EMERY M. LOW PAUL J. THUT 4 rromvsv Aug. 22,1961 R. w. FERGUSON EI'AL 2,996,979

DATA-MARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1960 INVENWRSLHUMALD I! FERGUW ENE/i M m PAUL J! THW v a, All TUE EV Aug. 22, 1961Filed Aug. 25, 1960 R. W. FERGUSON Er AL 2,996,979

DATAMARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 2,996,979DATA-MARKING MACHINE Ronald W. Ferguson, Greece, Emery M. Low,Irondequoit, and Paul J. Thut, Penfield, N. assignors to BurroughsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 25,1960, Ser. No. 51,900 9 Claims. (Cl. 101-96) This invention relates todata-marking machines of the type which mark data on a record web. Thedata to be marked may be amounts or numbers, for example, and themarking may be done by punching, or by making printed impressions withsuitable provision for effecting inked contact of a marking member ortype with the web.

Several commonly known machines of this character, including machinesfor printing dollar amounts on checks and the like, are arranged so thatthe data, specifically the digits in the amount to be marked or printed,are set up in the machine by moving finger pieces attached to segmentsor disk-shaped members having suitable detents for determining aplurality of settable positions. These positions may correspond to thedigits 0-9. A scale or indicator is provided so that the operator cantell when a finger piece has been moved to the position of the segmentrepresenting the desired piece of data or digit. These settable disks orsegments conventionally carry on their peripheries punches or typeswhich are moved into punching or printing position as the disks are set.

One disadvantage of such an arrangement, in which types, for example,are carried on the manually settable segments, is that the printing mustbe done at a location dependent on the disposition of the settablesegments in the machine. This location may be inconvenient, requiringinsertion of the record web or sheet into the machine at a positionwhich makes it difiicult to handle the web properly or which introducesditficulties in the design of efficient printing mechanisms. Suchtroubles may be overcome by placing the marking members or types onseparate type wheels or slide bars geared to the corresponding settablesegments. These arrangements, while they make the machine more flexibleand simplify the simultaneous printing of dates, for example, alsointroduce new problems, however. The separate type wheels or slides tendto be loose, due to play in their coupling to the settable segments andin their own mounting. Use of conventional arrangements to lock suchseparate printing members in position, after setting, also complicatesthe problem of clearing or resetting the settable segments prior to thenext cycle of operation. If resetting is not automatic, the operatoreasily may neglect to reset all of the segments all of the way to theirrest positions or new positions, resulting in subsequent recording ofincorrect data. If an automatic resetting mechanism does not operatepositively and freely, as for example when it is dependent uponresetting springs or when impeded by detent devices, the resetting maybe rough or undependable. An attempt to incorporate positive automaticclearing in an acceptable data-marking machine having marking membersseparate from the setting segments, using conventional techniques, tendsto increase the complexity and cost of the machine beyond commerciallyacceptable limits.

Another desirable feature frequently found in such machines, especiallythose for marking amounts of money on commercial paper, involves theprinting of a value designation, such as the dollar sign immediately infront of the highest significant digit in an amount being printed. Sincethe amounts to be printed may have different numbers of digits, thevalue designation must be printed by an impression member which is movedinto a variable position determined during eachcycle of operation.Positioning of this member is important, because the amount the timingmember for movement thereby into engagement 2,996,979 Patented Aug. 22,1961 printed may be raised fraudulently with relative ease if any spaceremains to the left of the digit of the highest significant order ofdigits in the amount printed. Incorporation of this additional featurein a machine with auto matic positive clearing and with marking membersseparate from the settable segments poses very difficult design problemswithin the limits of commercial practicability and cost, particularlysince machines of this character must be capable of highly dependableoperation over years of frequent usage by unskilled operators.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved data-marking machine which avoids one or more of thedisadvantages of the prior machines.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved machine formarking or printing data on a record web which incorporates positiveautomatic clearing of the amounts or other data set into the machine,while effecting locking of punch or type members during the punching orprinting of numerical amounts or the like immediately preceded on theweb by a value designating symbol.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved,efiicient, yet inexpensive amount-printing machine which prints aprotected amount on an accurately located printing line near the frontof the machine, convenient for insertion of the record sheet, and alsoeffects positive automatic clearing during the printing cycle of theamounts entered into the machine prior to the cycle.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide, in a data-markingmachine, a new and improved timing arrangement for coordinatingautomatically the operation of mechanisms for marking or printing apreset multi-digit number from printing members which preferably are notunitary with the setting device, the printing members being lockedsecurely in place during the printing with an impression membercontiguous to them carrying a value designating symbol, and forthereafter positively resetting the setting device.

In accordance with the invention, in a machine for marking data on arecord web, the combination is provided which comprises a plurality ofdata-selecting members, each settable from a rest position to any of asuccession of prelocated data-representing positions for selecting datato be marked on the record web; marking members associated with each ofthe settable data-selecting members and movable thereby from restpositions to corresponding marking positions; a drive shaft rotated in areciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a returnstroke; a value-designating member movable from a rest position to avariable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle bythe settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of the data-selectingmembers having a predetermined significance; and pressing means actuatedby this drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web withthe marking members and with the value-designating member during amarking period starting in the latter portion of the forward stroke andending in the earlier portion of the return stroke. This samecombination also comprises a clearing member actuated by the drive shaftfor carrying all of the data-selecting members which have been set todata-representing positions, and the marking members movable thereby,back to their rest positions after the marking period; timing means,including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectivelycompleting a forward movement of the timing member before the markingperiod and for effecting return movement of the timing member after themarking period but before the aforesaid actuation of the clearingmember; coupling means resiliently linking the timing member to thevalue designating member for moving the latter member to the variablemarking position and returning it to its rest position; and lockingmeans coupled to period, whereby the value designating member and thelocking means are moved into their proper positions for the markingoperation before the marking period and are.

removed from such positions and returned to their rest positionsthereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with otherand further objects thereof, reference is had to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and itsscope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view taken from the top of a data-marking machineembodying the present invention, with the front of the machine at theleft and the top cover removed, a central portion of the machine beingcut out midway between the right side, at the bottom of FIG. 1, and theleft side, at the top of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation, taken in the directionindicated 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional side elevation, taken in the directionindicated 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front elevation of the upper portion of themachine, taken in the direction indicated 4-4 in FIG. 1 but with aportion near the right side of the machine, rather than a centralportion, cut out.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart representing the operation of several elementsin the machine with reference tothe same horizontal axis of abscissas;

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are detailed cross-sectional side elevation views of aportion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2, these views representingsuccessive stages in the operation of the mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a detailed cross-sectional side elevation view of a portion ofthe mechanism shown in FIG. 3, representing another stage in theoperation of the machine; and

FIG. 10 is a rear elevation of the timing mechanism shown in sideelevation in the right hand portion of FIG. 9,- but taken with themechanism in a position corresponding to the initial stage of operationas shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a machine for markingdata on a record web and, more specifically, for printing numericalamounts on the web. The amount-printing machine illustrated is designedparticularly for imprinting dollar amounts on checks and othernegotiable instruments. Such machines may be equipped to print small orlarge maximum amounts, and the machine illustrated can print amountshaving eight orders of decimal digits, from the digits for the cents anddimes orders to the right of the decimal point, to the digit for themost significant order printable by this machine to the left of thedecimal point, namely the order for the $100,- 000.00 digit. Thus, whenthe machine is set to print the digit 9 for the latter order of digits,amounts can be printed from $900,000.00 to the maximum amount-of$999,999.99 which this machine can print.

The machine is provide with a framing structure made up of outer sideplates 11 and 12 maintained rigidly upright by lower tie rods 13 and 14and upper tie rods 16 and 17. The side plates 11 and 12 are slotteddeeply from the front of the machine, leaving a deep throat extendingacross the entire width of the machine for insertion of documents to bemarked, and dividing the machine into lower and upper portions.primarily the mechanism for effecting marking impressions or imprinting,consisting of a movable platen and linkages for actuating the platen, aswill be described hereinbelow. To support certain other parts in theupper portion, two inner side plates 18 and 19 of irregular outline aredisposed parallel to the outer plates 11 and 12, these inner platesbeing held in place by suitable structure including the upper tie rods16 and 17,- which may be assembled in sections with sleeves spacin J theinner side The lower portioncontains Y plates from each other and fromthe outer side plates. In FIG. 1 the tie rod 16 has been cut away exceptat its left end for simplicity of illustration.

In this amount-printing machine, the combination of elements shown inthe drawings comprises a plurality of data-selecting members,specifically eight segmental dataselecting members 21-28. As indicated:above, a central portion of the width of the machine has been'omitted inFIG. 1 by showing all the laterally extending parts broken away,including the parts toward the front of the machine, at the left of FIG.1, and extending to the parts toward the rear of the machine, at theright of FIG. 1. Only the four segmental members 21-24, for the cents,dimes, dollars,

and tens of dollars orders of digits respectively, with a partof thesegmental member 25 for the fifth order of digits, are visible inFIG. 1. The machine may include, in the portion broken away in FIG. 1,any additional segmental members, of like construction and with allassociated elements as required, to make up -a total number of segmentalmembers sufiicient to provide one for each order of decimal digits inthe amounts to be marked or printed. Since the machine illustratedactually can print an eight-digit amount, the partial front elevationalview of FIG. 4 is extended to show the segmental members 26-28 not shownin FIG. 1, and in fact the segmental members 23-28 for all six of theorders of digits to the left of the decimal point are depicted in FIG.4.

Machines of this character may be arranged to be set from a keyboard. Inthat case, punching the keys serves to place stop bars in the paths ofrotation of the segmental members, which are urged to rotate during theinitial portion of the operating cycle until each segmental memberstrokes a stop bar which stops it in a rotational position correspondingto the digit represented by the key which was punched. However, themachine illustrated herein utilizes direct manual setting of thesegments. Each of the segmental members has a finger piece to permitmanual setting, finger pieces 31-34 being shown on the segmental members21-24 respectively, and the finger pieces for the other segmentalmembers being omitted for clarity of illustration. Finger pieces 31-34are afiixed to their respective segmental members 21-24 by arms 36-39respectively.

The members 21-28 are segmental so as to include at least a portion ofthe full periphery of a disk. In the illustrated embodiment it isconvenient for the segmental members to have the form of complete disks,which include the desired segmental portions and hence may be viewed asa species of segmental members. The disks 21-28 have central holes whichare loose on a disk shaft 41, which is journaled in and passes betweenthe inner side plates 18 and 19. Each of the disks 21-28 isindependently settable by rotation from a rest position to any of asuccession of prelocated data-representing, specificallydigit-representing, angular positions, having predetermined angularseparations on the rotatable segmental members or disks, for selectingdata such as the several digits in an amount to be marked or printed onthe record web. For cooperating with a detent structure which determinesthe rotational angular locations of the positions representing the tendigits 0-9, plus a rest position in addition to the 0 position for thedisks 24-28, a succession of peripheral indentations 42, having the sameangular separations between successive digit-representing positions, isprovided on each of the disks. A stop bar 43 (omitted from FIG. 1 tofacilitate viewing of other members) is supported between the inner sideplates 18 and 19 to stop the arms 36-39, etc., of the finger pieces whenthe disks are returned to rest position. The bar 43 is staggered to stopthe arms 36-38 in a rest position for disks 21-23 coinciding with thedigit 0, while permitting the arm 39 for disk 24 and the arms for theother disks to continue one step farther to a rest position separatefrom 0 position. If the segmental members are not complete disks, thenthe, indentations 42v are provided alonga peripheral portion of each of.the segmental members. Each of the disks 21-28 is seen in FIG. 2 to havegear teeth 44 formed in most of the peripheral portions not occupied bythe succession of indentations 42.

Positioning and detent pawls are provided in springbiased contact witheach of the segmental members or disks for retention of the disks in theangular positions to which they are individually set. Portions of fourpawls 46-49 for the respective disks 21-24 are visible in FIG. 1. Theupper portions of the eight pawls are in contact with the respectivedisks 21-28; this portion of the pawl 46 is seen in FIG. 2, where thedisk 21 is shown in zero or rest position with the pawl 46 in contactwith one of the first of the indentations 42, which with the stop bar 43determines the rest position of the disk. It will be seen that, as adisk is moved counterclockwise, starting with the disk in its restposition as seen in FIG. 2, its detent pawl falls into one of theperipheral indentations when the disk is in any one of the rest anddigit-representing positions. The pawls have offset extensions 51 [tothe lower right of each pawl, as seen in FIG. 2, and slots are providedon the right side of each pawl near the center thereof. The pawls arepivoted on a shaft 52, on which they may be inserted through theaforementioned slots passing inwardly from the right side of each pawl.Spring-biased contact of the pawls, to position the disks by forcing thepawls to the bottoms of the peripheral indentations 42, is obtained bythe action of individual springs 53, fastened at the ends of therespective extensions 51, whereby the disks are urged to rotateslightly, as may be necessary, so that they are detained in a stableposition with each pawl at the bottom of an indentation 42.

Marking members are associated with each of the settable data-selectingmembers and are movable thereby from rest positions to correspondingmarking positions for making marks representing the bits of data to berecorded, in this case the individual digits included in the amount towhich the respective segmental members are set. In an embodiment of theinvention having a minimum number of parts, these marking members may beplaced on the segmental members or disks themselves, so that setting adisk into a digit-representing position brings a corresponding markingmember into marking position. However, the various parts may bepositioned more conveniently, and designed better for performing theirseveral functions, if a plurality of separate marker carriers are gearedindividually to corresponding segmental data-selecting members formovement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions tomarking positions. For this purpose arrangements are generally wellknown in which a marking member is incorporated on a slide carrying arack for meshing either with the gear teeth 44 on the settable segmentitself or with a pinion geared or fastened to the segment. The markingmembers affixed to such slidable marker carriers thus are carried by themovements of the carriers into positions or locations relative to thesurface of a record web for making marks thereon representing the natureof the data or the value of the digit to which the respective segmentalmembers are set. In the embodiment illustrated, however, the markercarriers have the form of a plurality of marking wheels 61-68. Thesemarking wheels are afiixed coaxially at their sides to respective gears711-78 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4; 72 and 73 are hidden in FIGS. 1 and 2), whichmesh with the teeth 44 formed on the peripheries of the disks 21-28respectively for rotational movement thereby. The wheels 61-68 carryingthe gears 71-78 are free to rotate upon a large shaft 79 journaled inthe side plates 11 and 12, which of course is not coaxial with the shaft41 for the disks 21-28. The marking wheels have sets of protrudingmarking members, designated 81 collectively, (FIGS. 2 and '3) affixed incircumferentially spaced relationship along the peripheries of themarking wheels.

In one form of marking arrangement the marking members, whether carrieddirectly on the settable disks, or carried on a marking slide or ondisks or cylinders such as the marking wheels 61-68, are simply punches,which may have rectangular or round cross-sectional shapes or which maybe in coded groups or shaped to represent characters. In this case theoperating cycle of the machine brings these punches into contact with animpression member which has the form of a punching die for receivingeach of the punches which may be in punching position. The marks thenhave the form of holes punched in a record web. In the embodimentillustrated, however, the data preferably are recorded in the form ofprinted marks. Thus the marking members 81 are type members movable intopositions for printing, and the marking wheels 61-68 serve .as typewheels having sets of numerical types 81 spaced along the peripheriesthereof and geared individually to the corresponding segmental members21-28 for rotational movement thereby from rest positions to printingpositions, the types being carried by such rotational movements intopositions for printing the individual digits in the amount to which therespective segmental members are set.

If a sliding type bar were used, each mark might have the same shape,since the marks may be distinguished by position alone on the recordsheet. However, the marking members 81 located along the peripheries ofthe marking wheels differ from each other in shape; they may be codemarks of arbitrary shape or alphanumeric characters. Each of the typewheels in the embodiment described herein carries ten numerical types 81for printing the ten digits 0-9, and the type wheels are closely spacedalong the common axis provided by the type wheel shaft 79 in thesequence of the orders of increasing significance in the dollar amountsto be printed. A moderate space between the type wheels. 62 and 63 doesnot impair the effectively close spacing of the type wheels, since thedecimal point intervenes between the type wheel 62 for the dimes orderof digits and the wheel 63 for the units of dollars order. Selectedtypes are movable by rotation of the type wheels into positions along apredetermined printing line, parallel to the axis 79 and directly belowthe center of this at the bottoms of the wheels, for printing theindividual digits which make up the amount to which the respective disksare set.

The amount-printing machine also com-prises a main drive shaft 82,suitably journaled in the side plates 11 and 12, and rotated in areciprocating operating cycle from an initial position, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, through a forward stroke to a full stroke position andthen through a return stroke back to its initial position. Machines ofthis character may be electrically driven through their operating cyclm.In that event a motor shaft would be coupled through a suitable drivemechanism, such as an eccentric coupled to an arm on the drive shaft 82,so as to rotate the shaft 82 in a reciprocating operating cycle. Such apower-operated arrangement is not shown herein, however, since provisionis made for manual operation through a handle 83 fastened to an end ofthe drive shaft extending through the side plate 11. A large gear 84,having in its side an arcuate slot 86 concentric with the center of thegear, is tight on the drive shaft '82 near the side plate 11; theprimary function of the gear 84 will be described hereinbelow.Additionally, a stud 87 extends from the side plate 11 through the slot86 in the gear to limit the rotation of the drive shaft 82. One end ofan arm 88 also is tight on the drive shaft 82, and the other end of arm88 receives the free end of a large spring 8 9 secured forwardly of thedrive shaft. The angular position of the handle 83 is shown in dashedlines in the sectional views of FIGS. 2 and 3 to clarify the relativepositions of the parts, and is indicated also in FIGS. 6-8. The spring89 urges the shaft 82 into an extreme clockwise initial position, asviewed in FIG. 2, with one end of the arcuate slot 86 against the stud87. Pulling the handle 83 to rotate the drive shaft 82 through theforward stroke counterclockwise against the tension of spring 89 bringsthe shaft to full stroke position with the other end of slot 86 againstthe stud 87. Motion of the handle to carry the shaft through the returnstroke back to its initial position is assisted by the spring tension.To insure that each stroke is carried to the full stroke position, aratchet 91 on the shaft 82 is prevented by a spring-loaded pawl 92,pivoted on a stub shaft 93, from clockwise motion until the full strokeposition is reached, when the pawl passes the last ratchet tooth andswings clear to permit the shaft to travel through the return stroke.

Before describing the impressing mechanism actuated by the drive shaft82 for effecting the punching or printing, there will be mentioned avalue-designating member included in the amount-printing machine in arest position tothe left of the type wheels 61-68. Thisvalue-designating member is in the form of an elongated block 94, havingtwo upwardly extending projections 96 and 97, spaced in the widthdirectionof the machine, which are drilled out to slide laterally on ashaft 98 extending across the machine forwardly of the lower portions ofthe type wheels. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, an extension 99 protrudesfrom the block 94 downwardly and rearwardly and then extendshorizontally toward the rear of the machine. The value-designatingmember 94 carries, on the lower surface of the last-mentionedhorizontally extending portion of the extension 99, a value-designatingtype configuration 101. The rearward part of this lower surface of theextension 99 also rests freely on a fixed horizontal supporting surface,a part of which may be seen in FIG. 3, positioned near the bottom of thetype wheel 68, thus preventing the rearward extension 99' from droppingand causing rotation of the value-designating member 94 about the slidershaft 98.

Referring again to the type wheels, those of the type wheels for theorders of higher significance are shaped to admit passage under certainconditions of the extension 99 if the value-designating member is urgedto slide to the right along the shaft 98. The type wheels 64-68, for thefive highest orders of digits which the illustrated machine can print,are so shaped. Thus the type wheels 64-68 have similarly shaped radiallydepressed notches 102 on their peripheries, starting next to the type101 for the digit 0. These type wheels and the corresponding disks 24-28are arranged so that they can be rotated past the position for printingthe digit to a rest position which is not also a printing position. Inother words, the disks 24-28 may be set to non-digit-representing restpositions before their finger piece arms strike the stop bar 43. Thenotches 102 on the respective type wheels 64-68 accordingly are formedon their peripheries in the locations which are on the aforementionedprinting line, heneath the center of the typewheel shaft 79, when thecorresponding disks are set to the non-digit-representing positions,such positions of those disks being represented in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3shows that the extension 99 of the value-designating member 94 has avertical depth equal to the radial depth of the notches 102 in the typewheels 64-68; so that the value-designating type configuration 101 isaligned, on the printing line, with any of the types 81 which have beenmoved into positions therealong, and so that the extension 99 may begiven support from above by the bottoms of the notches 102 while thetype configuration 101 remains aligned with the types 81 on the printingline.

The machine provides pressing means, which may be punching or printingmeans actuated by the drive shaft 82 for effecting marking contact ofthe record web with the marking or type members 81 and thevalue-designating member 94 during a marking or printing period startingin the latter portion of the forward stroke and ending in the earlierportion of the return stroke of the drive shaft. In the amount-printingmachine specifically described, this printing means effects inkedcontact of the types 81 which are in printing positions on the typewheels-that is, which.

are rotated to be on-the printing line-and of the valuedesignating typeconfiguration with the web surface. The

pressing means, arranged to be actuated from the drive shaft 82,includes drive arms 103 and 104 afiixed to-the shaft 82 near therespective side plates 11 and 12. The arms 103 and 104 drive similarbalanced linkages on each side of the machine, and the parts of thelinkages-on the left side, driven by the arm 104, will be designated inthe drawings by the same reference numerals, primed, as the numeralsdesignating the respective parts of the linkages on the right side,driven by the arm 103. One end of a link 106 is fastened by a pin 107 tothe end of the drive arm 103, another pin 108 serving to fasten thesimilar link 106 to the end of the drive arm 104. The other ends oflinks 106 and 106' are pivoted by a common movable shaft 109 to'one endof respective levers 1-11 and 111. Levers 1.11 and 11'1'are pivoted attheir other end on a common fixed shaft 112 passing between the sideplates 11 and 12. Thus the shafts 109 and 1-12 serve in both linkagesand act to stiffen and balance the actuating mechanism. Another link 113(having a companion link 113) runs forward from the middle of lever 111to a point which is common to a lower toggle arm 114 and an upper togglearm 116. The lower end of toggle arm 114 is secured pivotally on a fixedshaft 117 extending between the side plates 11 and 12 across the machineto engage similarly the companion toggle arm 114", while the upper endof toggle arm 116 is fastened pivotally to the free end of a roughlyhorizontal arm 118 by means of a platen drive pin 119. The remote end ofthe arm 118 is pivoted about a fixed stud 121 projecting from theadjacent outer side plate. The platen drive pin 119 protrudes from oneend of a platen bed 122 near the top thereof; the platen bed extendsacross the lower part ofthe machine and a similar drive pin 119' extendsfrom its other end to connect pivotally the arms 116 and 118'. Thebottom of the platen bed is notched vertically upward through out itslength, so that the notch rides on the fixed shaft 117. This structurepermits substantially vertical movement of the drive pins 119 and 119through a small distance while the lower end of the platen bed isconstrained to move vertically by the fixed shaft 117. A platen 123 isfixed on the top of the platen bed 122 and extends thereon across mostof the width of the machine.

For making a printed impression through inked contact of a type 81 witha record web, a wide ink-impregnated or ink-coated ribbon 124 isprovided, as shown in FIG. 2, the ribbon being omitted in the plan viewof FIG. 1 for ease of illustrating other components. The ribbon 124 issupplied on a spool 126 which may be rotatably positioned between spoolholders 127 and 128 afiixed to the respective side plates 11 and 12. Aribbon guide bracket 129, shown only in FIGS. 2 and 3, guides the ribbontoward the printing line as it comes off the spool 126. A ribbon guideplate 131 is positioned along the central and rearward portions of themachine (this plate being largely cut out as shown in FIG. '1) and has adepressed portion at its rear edge over which the ribbon passes as ittravels rearwardly and then upwardly toward a ribbon take-up spool 132.A lower ribbon guide bracket 133 is affixed to the edges of the guideplate 131 at its rear end to support the ribbon 124 from below as itpasses the guide plate on its way to the take-up spool. Any conventionalmechanism may be used to maintain ribbon tension and to advance theribbon a small amount during each cycle of operation, and such mechanismis not shown in the drawings.

A record web 134 may be inserted between the type wheels 61-68 andvalue-designating member 94 and the platen 123, with the ribbon 124interposed above the web, below the types 81 located at the bottoms ofthe type wheels, and below the type configuration 101. The side plates11 and 12 are slotted deeply to enable insertion of a wide web or longsheet 134. Adjustable positioning members (not shown) may be provided asneeded to insure that the marking or typing is carried out atthedesired. locations on the web'134. The web may have the form of astrip, card, or sheet, and machines of the character shown and describedherein frequently are used for imprinting amounts on checks, which areinserted as shown for the sheet or web 134 in FIG. 2.

Machines of the character described advantageously are provided with avisual indicator to show the operator the digit-representing position towhich each disk has been set. In the embodiment illustrated, thisarrangement includes a series of indicating wheels, one for each of thedisks 21-28, rotatable on the shaft-shaped tie rod 17. For convenienceof illustration, only three of the indicating wheels are shown inFIG. 1. Wheel 136 carries concentrically a gear 137 (in the same planeas the gear 71 and hiding gear 71 in FIG. 1 but not in FIG. 2) whichmeshes with the gear teeth 44 on the disk 21. Likewise, indicating wheel138 carries a gear 139 (above the gear 72 and hiding gear 72 in FIG. 1)which meshes with the gear teeth on the disk 22, and indicating wheel141 carries a gear 142 meshing with disk 23. The wheel 141 and its gear142 may be seen in FIG. 4 which shows also the remaining five indicatingwheels with their driving gears meshing with the corresponding disks24-28. These indicating wheels carry numbers on their peripheries, a fewof which are indicated in the drawings, and these numbers may be viewedby the operator through a hole or slit in the cover (not shown) of themachine to indicate the settings of the disks and the correspondingpositions of the type wheels and indicator wheels.

The operation of the portions of the machine which effect the setting upof the amount to be marked on the web and the impressing or printing ofthe marks thereon now will be described. The finger pieces 31 et seq.are moved until the indicating wheels show the desired amount, startingwith the finger piece B1 for the disk 21. With dollar amounts, the digitfor the cen order may be set first through the finger piece 31 and disk21, reading the setting on the indicating wheel 136, then the digits forthe dimes and units of dollars orders are set, using the respectivefinger pieces 32 and 33 for the respective disks 22 and 23, and checkingthe settings on the respective indicating wheels 138 and 141. Thecorresponding type wheels 61, 62, and 63 respectively now have beenmoved, through the gear teeth 44 on the three disks and the meshinggears 71, 72, and 73, to positions for printing the digits of the threeorders of lowest significance in the amount in question,.while the gears137, 139, and 142 insure the proper indications on their wheels 136,138, and 141. If the amount is less than one dollar, or if a digit forone of the units of dollars, dimes, or cents orders happens to be a 0,the corresponding disk 23, 22, or 21 is left in its rest position, whichcoincides with its -digit-representing position, and the correspondingtypewheel 63, 62, or 61 is in its rest position to print the digit 0. Ifthere are more than three significant orders in the amount to beprinted, the remaining disks are set, starting with the next disk 24through its finger piece 34, until the disks for each order, up to andincluding the order of highest significance in the amount to be printed,have been set from their rest positions to the proper digit-representingpositions and the corresponding type wheels have rotated to positionsfor presenting the proper types for the respective digits on theprinting line. The remaining disks, if any, for higher orders of digitsare left in their non-digit-representing rest positions, so that thecorresponding type wheels remain in their rest positions and theirnotches 102 remain on the printing line.

The machine now is set up to mark or print the amount in question.Pulling the handle 83 forward (to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1-3),causes the shaft 82 to rotate counterclockwise through an angle of 115".Reversal of direction during this forward stroke is prevented by theaction of the pawl 92 on the full stroke ratchet 91. At the end of theforward stroke, as the slot 86 in the large gear 84 strikes the stud 87,the pawl 92 releases the ratchet, and the return stroke may be carriedout with the aid of the large spring 89, which has been placed 16 underincreasingly great tension during the forward stroke.

In the graphical timing chart of FIG. 5, the horizontal axis representsthe angular displacement of the drive shaft 82 from its rest position,passing from 0 to on the forward stroke, and back to 0 on the returnstroke. The position of the faces of those types 81 which are on theprinting line, relative to the upper surface of the web 134 supported bythe platen 12 3, allowing for the thickness of the intervening ribbon124, is represented by the curve 151 in the lower portion of FIG. 5. Thevertical axis of ordinates of the lower portion of FIG. 5 is subdividedat the left of the chart in thousandths of an inch of free space betweenthe type and the platen. It will be realized that use of an unusuallythick web 134, or the use of a manifolded stack of thin web sheets withinterleaved carbon sheets, will decrease this clearance space, havingthe effect of moving the entire curve 151 downwardly in relation to thefixed coordinate axes. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the machine in its restcondition between operating cycles. As the handle 83 is pulled towardthe front of the machine, the drive shaft 82 turns until the drive arms103 and 104 reach the full stroke position shown in dashed lines for arm103 in FIG. 2. During this operation the arms pull the link 106 (and106') upward, rotating lever 111 counterclockwise as seen in FIGS. 2 and3, which in turn pulls the link 113 toward the right and tends to pullthe toggle arms 114 and 116 into vertical alignment. Guided by the arm118, the right end of which performs a small arc in a directionsubstantially vertically upward, the platen drive pin 119 moves upwardlywith similar motion of the drive pin 119 on the other side of themachine, carrying the platen bed 122 upwardly with them, the forkedlower end of the platen bed of course sliding upwardly on the fixedshaft 117.

In this Way the platen bed 122 carries the platen 123 upwardly duringthe forward stroke. The free space be tween the platen and the selectedtype on each of the type wheels 61-68 thus decreases until, at point 152on the curve 151, the marking or type members are brought into markingor inked contact through the ribbon 124 with the upper surface of theweb 134 when the drive shaft is in-the neighborhood of its full strokeposition. The type configuration 101 on the value-designating member 94also is in position above the platen 123 on the printing line, asindicated hereinabove, so that it also commences to make printingcontact with the web at the point 152 in the latter portion of theforward stroke. As the platen is pressed upwardly beyond the point 152,.relative motion between the platen and the type cannot occur except fora moderate compression of the ribbon and the web beneath the type face,but some additional effective motion of the platen still takes placeuntil the full stroke position actually is reached at the point 153 oncurve 151, represented by a platen position indicated in dashed lines inFIG. 2. This added motion of the platen appears as a correspondingdistortion in the side plates 11 and 12, which as mentioned above aregrooved deeply to receive the record web 134 from the front of themachine, bringing the portions of the side plates above and below thegroove slightly closer together and increasing the printing pressure. Onthe return stroke the pressure decreases, and the printing couple opensand the platen starts to withdraw from the record web at the point 154on curve 151. Thus the marking members 81 and value-designating member94 come into inked contact with the web surface in the neighborhood ofthe full stroke .position, during a marking or printing periodcorresponding to angular positions starting at the point15'2 on thecurve 151 of FIG. 5 in the latter portion of the forward stroke andending at the point 154 in the earlier portion 'of'the return stroke, toprint a value-designating symbol and the amount selected by the settingsof the segmental members or disks. Of course, if alpha-numeric types arenot used, the marking members associated with the segmental members ordisks are brought similarly into marking contact with the web surfaceduring the operating cycle to make holes or other marks in or on the web134 representing the amount selected by the settings of the segmentalmembers. If on the surface of the web, the marks need not be made in anordinary ink, but may be, for example, of a special magnetic,conductive, or fluorescent ink, and need not even be visible underordinary light.

Describing further the machine as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, anarrangement is provided for automatically and positively resetting thesegmental members 21-28, and the type wheels 61-68 and indicating wheelsrotated thereby, back to rest positions during the return stroke of theoperating cycle and after the marking period has effectively ended. Thisclearing of the segmental members is effected without any interferencefrom the pressure of the spring-biased detent pawls 46 et seq. on thesegmental members. To furnish the necessary and properly timed actuationfor the clearing mechanism and related parts, a cam member 156 isrotatable through one revolution by the drive shaft 82 during eachoperating cycle, the aforesaid one revolution starting only after themarking period when the amount-marking or -printing is substantiallycompleted, that is, when the printing couple is almost or completelyopen, such opening occurring as the point 152 is reached in the curve151. To provide the single timed revolution of the earn 156 a stub shaft157, afiixed in the side plate 11, carries a small gear 158 so as to bein mesh with the large gear 84 on the drive shaft 81. Fastenedconcentrically on one side of this gear 158 is a ratchet wheel 159having only a single tooth 161. The throw of the drive shaft during theforward and return strokes, and the ratio of the gears 84 and 158, issuch that the ratchet wheel 159 is geared to the drive shaft for arotation, during the forward stroke, of more than one revolution butless than two revolutions of the ratchet wheel and for the same rotationthereof in the reverse sense, of course, during the return stroke. Inthe machine illustrated, for a full stroke rotation of 115 of the mainshaft 82 and the large gear 84, the small ratchet gear 158 has arotation of about 523, corresponding to a gear ratio of 50:11, orsomewhat less than 1%. revolutions.

The cam 156 is rotatable on an axis concentric with that of the ratchetwheel 159, and as shown is mounted loose on the same stub shaft 157. Adriving pawl 162 is pivotally mounted on a pin 163, fixed to the side ofthe cam 156, so that the pawl engages the single tooth 161 of theratchet wheel 159 only when the small gear 158 is rotatedcounterclockwise (FIG. 2) past the one point of engagement at the tooth161. Since the drive shaft 82 and large gear 84 rotate clockwise, todrive the small gear 158 counterclockwise, only on the return stroke,the driving pawl can engage the ratchet wheel only during the returnstroke. As seen in FIG. 2, which shows the positions of the parts at thestart and end of the operating cycle, the driving pawl 162 is at thepoint of engagement with the tooth 161 at the start of the cycle.However, the ratchet wheel 159 rotates in the sense which carries thetooth 161 away from the pawl for one full revolution and almost a halfof another revolution during the forward stroke, and almost one third ofthe return stroke has been accomplished before the ratchet wheel hasreturned in the reverse sense, that is, counterclockwise, to theposition of engagement of its tooth 161 with the pawl 162. Consequently,the driving pawl is mounted on the cam for. engaging the single tooth ofthe ratchet wheel only during the last full revolution of the ratchetwheel in this reverse sense, whereby the cam 156 rotates during eachoperating cycle through one revolution, counterclockwise as seen in FIG.2, starting only after the marking or printing period.

Means is provided, driven by the cam 156, for removingall of the eightpositioning and detent pawls, of which the pawls 46-49 for the disks21-24 are indicated in 12 FIGS. 1 and 2, from their individualspring-biased contact with the segmental'members or disks 21-28 at aboutthe end of the marking period. This means also serves for releasing thepawls back into contact with the segmental members as soon as the latterhave been reset to rest position. The means for moving the pawlsincludes a cam follower riding on the peripheral camming surface of thecam 156. The cam follower 165 has the shape of a rod, the outer end ofwhich has a roller to contact the cam, and which extends inwardlybeneath the inner side plate 18 to connect at its inner end with a yokehow 166. This bow is one of a pair of bows 166 and 167 located justinside the inner side plates 18 and 19 respectively. These bows areconnected by a yoke cross member 168 and are pivoted at their upper leftends, as seen FIGS. 1 and 2, on the same shaft 52 about which the detentpawls 46 et seq. rock. The yoke structure is completed by an upper pin169 and a lower pin 170, which pass between the yoke bows 166 and 167parallel to the pawl shaft 52. Springs 17 1 and 172 are connected to therespective bows to urge the yoke structure 166-170 counter-clockwise(FIG. 2) about the shaft 52 and maintain the follower 165 on the cammingsurface.

The cam-follower means 165-172 thus carries a pawlcontacting arrangementin the form of the upper pin 169 passing near the upper surface of theoffset extension 51 of each pawl and the lower pin passing near thelower surface of each extension 51. The cam-follower means cooperateswith the cam 156, through downward pressure of the upper pin 169 on thepawl extensions 51 when the follower rides toward a high point on thecam, for causing the pawl-contacting pin 169 to rock all of the pawlsout of their spring-biased contact with the respective segmental membersor disks 21-28 during an earlier portion of each revolution of the cammember, and thereafter for releasing the pawls back into contact withthe respective segmental members or disks when the follower 165 reachesa camming surface having a smaller radius.

The data-marking machine further comprises a clearing member 175 forcontacting all of the segmental members and pushing them back to restpositions, ready for setting prior to the succeeding operating cycle.With the aid of the cam 156, driven by the ratchet wheel 159 during anappropriately timed portion of the return stroke, the clearing member,which ordinarily is in inoperative position, is actuated by the driveshaft for carryng all of the data-selecting segmental members or disks21-28 which have been set to data-representing or digit-representingpositions, and the marking members 81 movable thereby, back to theirreset or rest positions after the marking or printing period. Of course,when the marking members or types 81 are mounted on marker carriers, ormore specifically the marker wheels or type wheels 61-68, these carriersor wheels move to rest positions when the segmental members are reset.The resetting member 175 is a bail, passing through similarly shapedslots 176 in each of the disks 21-28, and having arms 177 and 178 tighton the shaft 41 which carries the disks. A linkage in the form of acrank member 179 is provided between the cam 156 and the clearing bail175 for causing the bail to operate and reset the disks, and for thenreturning the bail 175 to its inoperative position. The crank 179 isfastened eccentrically to the side of the cam 156 by a pin 181 and isconnected at its other end to a lever 182 which is tight on the diskshaft 41. This connection is made through a pin 183 which rides in aslot near the end of the crank 179, permitting some lost motion in thelinkage between the cam 156 and the bail 175.

Describing now the operation of the cam 156 and the mechanisms driven byit, reference may be had again to FIG. 5, in which the curve 186represents qualitatively the rotation of the clearing bail 175 as afunction of the angular position of the drive shaft 82. During theforward stroke of the operating cycle the handle 83 is pulled forward(left in FIG. 2), whereby the large gear 84 on the drive shaft 82 causesthe single-toothed ratchet 159 to rotate clockwise from the positionshown in FIG. 2 through a full revolution and then to continue throughalmost another half revolution, at which time the handle 83 is in itsextreme forward position and the drive arm 103 has reached the positionshown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. This stage corresponds to a verticalline 187 through the curves of the FIG. 5 graph, intersecting the point153 on curve 151. As the handle returns and the printing couple startsto open, the ratchet 159 rotates counterclockwise until just onerevolution remains during the return stroke, at which point it hasreturned again to a position where the driving pawl 162 is contiguous tothe tooth 161 on the ratchet. This point is represented by the verticalline 188 on the FIG. 5 graph.

The positions of the various elements in question at the stagecorresponding to 188 on the graph are illustrated in the partialelevational view of FIG. 6, where the angular positions of the handle 83and the drive arm 103 are indicated in dashed lines for comparison withtheir rest positions shown in FIG. 2. The return stroke has carried thedrive arm 103 from the position shown dashed in FIG. 2 to the horizontalposition indicated in FIG. 6. Further counterclockwise rotation of theratchet 159 during the balance of the return stroke causes the tooth 161to engage the driving pawl 162 and drive the cam 156 through onerevolution. This carries the mechanism through the positions representedin the partial elevational views of FIGS. 7 and 8, corresponding to thevertical lines 189 and 190 respectively in the FIG. 5 graph. At thestage represented in FIG. 7, the crank 179 has moved leftward until thepin 183 has been engaged by the right end of the slot in the crank 179,and the bail 175 then has been moved counterclockwise about the diskshaft 41 through an are long enough to pick up the disks which have beenset to extreme positions. As the mechanism continues to move toward thestage represented in FIG. 8, the bail 175 contacts all of the diskswhich had been set, and at the point 190 has carried them to their restpositions with the arms 36 et seq. against the stop bar 43. As the cyclecontinues, the eccentric connection of the crank 179 on the cam 156moves the crank toward the right, again taking up the lost motion of thepin 183 in the slot on the crank 179 and returning the bail 175 to itsinoperative position, as shown in FIG. 2. The motion of the bail 175clockwise about the shaft 41 to reset the disks is represented by thedownwardly extending portion 191 of the curve 186 in FIG. 5, while thereturn of the bail to its inoperative position is represented by theupwardly extending portion 192 of this curve near the end of theoperating cycle. The positions of the arm of the handle 83 and of thedrive arm 103 are indicated also in FIGS. 7 and 8, at the stages 189 and190 during the return of the drive shaft 82 toward th initial positionrepresented in FIG. 2.

As the return stroke proceeds from the stage identified as 188 in FIG. 5and illustrated in FIG. 6, cam 156 and the cam-follower means 165-172have operated to rock the detent pawls 46 et seq. away from contact withthe disks 21-28. The motion of the pawls is represented by the curve 193in FIG. 5. During the entire portion of the operating cycle from theposition shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 6, the cam follower 165remains seated in a small depression 196 in the camming surface. Theshape of the camming surface is best seen in FIGS. 6-8. As soon as thetooth 161 engages the driving pawl 162 and begins to turn the cam 156,starting at the stage 188 in FIG. 5, the follower 165 climbs out of thedepression 196. This causes the yoke assembly 166170 to start rotatingclockwise so that the pin 169 commences to push against the upper edgeof the offset extension 51 on each detent pawl. During the first quarterrevolution of the cam 156, the follower 165 rides to the highest pointon the camming surface, causing all of the pawls to be rocked againstthe biasing force of the springs 53 so that the pawls move clear of theindentations 42 and of the interdontal portions therebetween on thedisks 21- 28. This motion of the pawls is represented by the risingportion 197 of the curve 193. The follower now remains at its positionof maximum travel while the cycle proceeds through the position 189,represented in FIG. 7. As the cam 156 approaches the position shown inFIG. 8, however, the follower commences to fall sharply into a deepdepression 198 in the camming surface, causing a rapid return of thepawls into contact with the disks. This motion of the pawls isrepresented by the falling portion 199 of curve 193.

At this same stage 190, however, the disks which have been reset by thebail 175 have just reached their rest positions, as indicated in FIG. 8and by the curve 186, and there is a tendency of the disks to vibrate orrecoil from the stop bar 43 as they decelerate from the resettingrotation. The pawls now are seated in the peripheral indentations 42 forthe rest positions of the disks. To stabilize the disks quickly in theirrest positions, the camfollower means cooperates further with the cam156 for causing the pawl-contacting arrangement not only to release thepawls back into spring-biased contact with the respective disks when thedisks thus have been reset to rest position, as represented by theportion 199 of curve 193, but also for a short time immediatelythereafter to retain the pawls in substantially fixed position withinthese respective peripheral indentations on the disks. This camfolloweraction is achieved by making the depression 198 in the camming surfacedeep enough so that the yoke springs 171 and 172 pull the yoke and itslower pin against the lower edge of the offset extensions 51 on thepawls. This retains the pawls within the indentations on the disks whilethe follower remains in the bottom of the depression 198, so that thepawls cannot retract against the action of the biasing springs 53. Theadditional motion of the pin 170 to achieve this pawl-retaining positionis represented by the dotted depressed portion 200 added to the curve193 which represents the pawl position. After a short hold in the deepdepression 198 on cam 156, the cam follower rises to a plateau on thecamming surface and stays there during the brief remainder of theoperating cycle, falling back into the small depression 196 as the camreaches the rest position and the cycle ends.

Referring to the curves 186 and 193 in FIG. 5, it will be seen that thedetent pawls are removed from springbiased contact with the disks at thebeginning of the portion 188-190 of the operating cycle and are releasedback into contact with the disks at the end of that portion of thecycle. The clearing bail 175, through the eccentric connection of thecrank 179 to the cam 156, is caused to carry all of the disks back torest position, as represented by the portion 191 of curve 186, duringthis same portion of the cycle, at a time when all of the pawls are heldout of contact with the disks.

Occasionally it is desired to operate the amount-printing machinedescribed hereinabove in consecutive cycles of operation to print thesame amount during each cycle. For this purpose it is convenient toprovide disabling means for preventing the resetting of the settabledisks between these successive cycles of operation. Thus, disablingmeans is provided for holding the driving pawl 162 in a pivotallywithdrawn position, out of engagement with the single tooth 161 of theratchet 159, during any operating cycle in which it is not desired toclear the machine of the amount represented by the settings of thesegmental members or disks. This disabling means has the form of a lever201 pivoted coaxially with the shaft 41 which carries the setting disks.The disabling lever has a lower end portion 202 adapted to be rockedinto contact with an upper extension of the driving pawl 162. Ordinarilythe driving pawl is maintained in contact with the ratchet surface by aspring 203. However, backward motion of the disabling lever 201 where itextends above the machine mechanism forces its lower end portion 202 torotate the driving pawl 162 counterclockwise about the pin 163 and outof engagement with the ratchet 159. The disabling positions of the lever201-202 and of the pawl 162 are indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 6.While the disabling lever remains in this position, the drive shaft 82and the ratchet wheel 159 pass through the return stroke without anyrotation of the cam 156, so that the motions represented in the curves186 and 193 in FIG. do not occur.

An arrangement, in a data-marking machine of the type underconsideration, involving settable segmental members, the positioning anddetent pawls, the resetting or clearing bail, and the mechanism forholding the pawls removed from contact with the segmental members whilethe resetting bail moves and carries the segmental members back to restposition, is the subject matter of an application Serial No. 51,899 forLetters Patent of the United States entitled Data Registering andMarking Machine, filed concurrently herewith in the names of Ronald W.Ferguson and Emery M. Low and assigned to the same assignee as thepresent invention.

Describing further the data-marking machine embodying the presentinvention, as illustrated particularly in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 9, and 10 ofthe drawings, the machine also comprises timing means, including atiming member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing aforward movement of the timing member before the marking or printingperiod, which starts at 152 and ends at 154 as represented graphicallyin FIG. 5, and for effecting return movement of the timing member afterthe marking or printing period but before the actuation of the clearingmember 175. The timing means includes also a driving member 211 rotatedby the drive shaft 82. The driving member 211 has the form of a ratchetwheel having two peripherally separated, opposed, pawl-engagingshoulders 212 and 213. The driving ratchet wheel 211 is constrained torotate with the drive shaft 82 by an extension of the pin 108 passingfrom the drive arm 104 into the driving ratchet 211. In the illustratedembodiment, the aforementioned timing member, included in the timingmeans, is a timing cam 214 which is loose on the drive shaft 82 and isrotatable coaxially with the driving ratchet wheel 211.

The timing means further includes two oppositely disposed pawls 216 and217 pivoted on respective pins 218 and 219 carried by the timing cam214. One of these pawls 216 thus is .pivotally disposed to engage one ofthe two shoulders, 212, and start a forward rotation of the timing cammember 214 near the beginning of the forward stroke, the location of theshoulder 212 on the driving ratchet wheel 211 being such that the pawl216 is in position to engage the shoulder 212, with a small clearance,when the driving ratchet 211 is in rest position between operatingcycles, as seen in FIG. 3. A single spring 220, passing over a stud 221on the driving ratchet 211 and fastened to tabs 222 and 223 on therespective pawls 216 and 217, serves to urge both of these pawls intoengagement with the shoulders on the driving member or ratchet wheel211. The other pawl 217 is pivotally disposed to engage the othershoulder 213 and start a reverse rotation of the timing cam member 214at a time which, because of the inclination of the shoulder 2 13 and itspawl 217, occurs during the reverse stroke and which, as describedhereinbelow, occurs after the marking or printing period but before theactuation of the clearing member 175.

The length of the forward rotational movement of the timing cam 214 andthe length of its return movement are determined by pawl-disengagingmeans including two members having the respective surfaces 224 and 225.The member having the surface 224 conveniently may be a cam followermember 226 disposed, as will be described further hereinbelow, incontact with a camming surface of the timing cam 214. The surface 225 isprovided by a fixed stud. These surfaces 224 and 225 are disposed in thepaths of travel of the pawls carried by the timing cam member 214; morespecifically, the surface 224 is disposed for pivotally deflecting theone pawl 216, through the tab 222 thereon, out of engagement with theone shoulder 212 to stop the forward rotation of the timing memberbefore the marking or printing period commences. Likewise, the studsurface 225 is disposed for pivotally deflecting the other pawl 217,through its tab 223, out of engagement with the other shoulder 213 tostop the reverse rotation of the timing cam member 214 before theactuation of the clearing bail member the stud 225 arrests the reverserotation when the timing cam 214 and the pawls 216 and 217 are back intheir rest positions as seen in FIG. 3, so that the lengths of theforward and return rotational movements of the timing cam are the same.

Coupling means, resiliently linking the timing cam member 214 to thevalue-designating member 94, is provided for moving thevalue-designating member from its rest position to its aforementionedvariable marking position, holding it there during the marking period byvirtue of the resiliency of this linkage, and returning thevaluedesignating member to its rest position. This means, accordingly,utilizes the above-mentioned forward rotational movement of the timingcam 214 to move the value-designating member to its variable marking orprinting position, and later utilizes the reverse rotational returnmovement of the timing member to return the value-designating member torest position. This coupling means includes an elongated resilient lever227 in the form of a wire made of spring metal. A vertical supportingbracket 228 is screwed at its base to a block adjacent to the type wheelassembly. A bracket 229, affixed to the top of support 228, carries astud 231, and the wire lever 227 is pivotally supported by this stud.The wire lever 227 conveniently is pivoted about the stud 231 by beingwound loosely thereabout for several turns, forming a small coil of thespring metal which adds materially to the resilient action of therelatively straight portions of the elongated wire lever. The pivot stud231 is oriented so that the entire elongated lever 227 remains generallydisposed in, and is pivoted for rotation generally in, a plane includingthe printing line described hereinabove. By loosely connecting the wirelever 227 to the value-designating member 94 at a connection point 232on the resilient lever distant from its pivot point 231, the end portionof the wire lever 227 near the connection point 232 is constrained tomove in the desired direction for moving the value-designating member 94when the wire lever is rotated about the pivot stud 231.

A linkage lever 233 couples the timing cam member 214 to a point 234 onthe resilient wire lever 227, the point 234 being removed from the pivotpoint 231, but being less distant from the point 231 than is theconnection point 232 to the value-designating member. The lever 233 inturn is pivoted about a stud 236 projecting from the side plate 12. Theend of the lever 233 opposite from the point 234 is coupled suitably tothe timing cam member 214, and, as shown, the lever 233 carries the camfollower 226, mentioned above, which is maintained in contact with thecamming surface of the timing member 214 by a spring 237.

If the punches or types 81 were carried directly on the disks 21-28, itwould be most desirable to provide locking means for engagement with themarking members, either directly, or indirectly by engaging the disksthemselves, to hold the marking members 81 firmly in their selectedmarking positions during the marking period. The springbiased centeringand and detent pawls 46 et seq., which must permit fairly easy movementof the disks when they are being set, cannot firmly stabilize thepositions of the disks when marking pressure is applied by the printingplaten or punching die 123. In the illustrated embodiment, however, themarking members can be stabilized by atte ts providing locking means,also coupled to the timing cam member 214, for movement thereby intoengagement with the marker carriers, and hence with the marking membersthereon, to hold the carriers firmly in the selected marking or printingpositions during the marking or printing period. With the marking wheels61-68 serving as marker or type carriers, the locking means thus iscoupled to the timing cam member 214, for utilizing the rotationsthereof to move the locking means into engagement with the marking ortype wheels 61-68 and hold the wheels, and hence the marking members ortypes 81 thereon, in their marking or printing positions during themarking or printing period.

The locking means in the illustrated machine includes a series oflocking dogs, one for each of the type Wheels 61-68, which engage thetype wheels and, more particularly, the driving gears 71-78 afiixedcentrally to the sides of the type wheels. The locking dogs themselveshave been omitted from the view of FIG. 1 in order to permit other partsto be seen, but their structure and disposition are shown in the sideelevational views of FIGS. 2, 3, and 9. A locking dog 241, seen in FIG.2, is disposed to move into centering and locking engagement with theteeth of the gear 71 on the type wheel 61 for the first (cents) order ofdigits. An identical locking dog 242 is seen in the sectional view ofFIG. 3, disposed similarly to move into engagement with the gear 74aifixed behind the type wheel 64 for the fourth (tens of dollars) orderof digits. It will be understood that individual locking dogs areprovided similarly for the gears 72, 73, and 75-78 aflixed to the leftfaces of the other type wheels.

The locking means also involves supporting and moving mechanism, shownin FIGS. 1-4 and 9. This includes a shaft 243, passing laterally betweenthe side plate 11 and the vertical support 228, on which the severallocking dogs, including dogs 241 and 242, are pivoted. A strongcounterclockwise torque is applied to each locking dog, as seen in FIGS.2 and 3, by individual springs, including a spring 244 for dog 241 andspring 245 for dog 242. Between the point of attachment of such springand the engaging portion of each dog, the dog has an indentation 247.Aifixed to the locking dog shaft 243 are two spaced arms 248 and 249,and a locking dog lifter rod 251, passing between arms 248 and 249, runswithin the indentations 247 in all of the locking dogs. As shown in theviews of FIGS. 2 and 3, the lifter rod 251 is pushed upwardly againstthe upper surface of each indentation 247, maintaining the locking dogsrotated clockwise to the extent that they are clear of the gears 71-78on the type Wheels. This permits setting of the disks 21-28 1 withrotation of the type wheels into printing positions.

To couple the locking dogs and their lifter arrangment to the timing cammember 214, another arm 252 is afiixed to the lifter rod 251. A link 253runs between a pin 254 on the arm 252 and a pin 256 on the linkage lever233 driven by the timing cam 214. Rotation of the lever 233counterclockwise about its pivot stud 236, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 9,moves the link 253 leftward, causing counterclockwise rotation of thearm 252, the locking dog shaft 243, and the arms 248 and 249 thereon.This causes the lifter rod to move downward, away from the uppersurfaces of the indentations 247 in the dogs, permitting the springs244, 245, etc. to pull the locking dogs into individual engagement withthe type wheel gears 71-78. By this linkage arrangement the timing cam214 is coupled to the locking means for movement of the locking dogs ofthe locking means into engagement with the type wheels.

The operation of the timing means, including the driving ratchet member211, the timing cam member 214, and the associated parts 216-227, nowwill be described. This will be followed by a discussion of theoperation of the linkage therefrom through the levers 233 and 227 tomove the value-designating member 94, and of the further coupling by thelink 253 to move the locking 18 means 241-245 through its arm 252 onshaft 243 and the lifter rod 251.

Referring again to the chart of FIG. 5, the upper curve 261 representsthe motion of the locking dogs 241, 242, etc. into and then out ofengagement with the type wheel gears. As the forward stroke of the driveshaft 82 commences, the ratchet shoulder 212 engages the pawl 216 andstarts to drive the cam 214 counterclockwise from the position shown inFIG. 3. The camming surface of the timing member 214 starts to drop atthe angular position represented by the point 262 on curve 261, rotatinglever 233 counterclockwise, and the aforementioned coupling through thecam follower 226, lever 233, and link 253 causes the lifter rod 251 todrop. By the point 263 on curve 261 the locking dogs have engaged thegears 71-78, and the lifter rod continues to withdraw toward the lowersurfaces of the identations 247 in the locking dogs to insure completecentering and locking contact.

After about 40 of counterclockwise rotation of the timing cam 214, atthe point 264 on curve 261, the pawl 216 is disengaged by the surface224 and the cam 214 comes to rest. The driving ratchet wheel continuesto turn until the stage 187 at the end of the forward stroke, at whichtime the timing means and the parts coupled thereto have reached thepositions depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10, with the lifter rod 251 clear ofthe locking dogs.

On the return stroke, the ratchet wheel 211 rotates clockwise until theratchet shoulder 213 returns through an angle sufficient to engage thepawl 217, which occurs at the stage represented by the point 265 oncurve 261. The cam 214 then commences to rotate clockwise, as viewed inFIGS. 3 and- 9, and the coupling to the lifter rod 251 commences areturn motion to move the rod upward as the camming surface rises. Atthe point 266 the rod 251 contacts the locking dogs, which are rotatedthereby until, at the point 267, the dogs are all clear of the printingWheel gears. The follower 226 now has reached the high point on timingcam 214, and further rotation of the cam to the point 268 on curve 261brings the tab 223 on pawl 217 against the stud 225, disengaging thepawl and stopping the cam at its original rest position, at a timerepresented by the point 268 on curve 261. The return stroke of shaft 82then continues back to the rest position, shown in FIG. 3, at the end ofthe operating cycle.

Reference to FIG. 5 shows that the locking dogs firmly engage themarking or type members, through the marker carrier wheels 61-68,between the stages represented by the points 263 and 266 on the curve261. Since the marking or printing period extends between substantiallythe stages represented by the points 152 and 154 on the curve 151, itappears that the marking members or wheels are held firmly duringsubstantially the entire marking period. The stage 154 at the end of theprinting period may approach closely, or even overlap somewhat, thestage 266 at which the dog lifter rod starts to lift, but the clearingaction, represented by the falling portion 191 of curve 186, should notbegin until the printing couple is well open.

Referring now to the value-designating member 94, it is movable from alateral rest position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in a direction toward theright to a variable marking position. The extreme marking position isreached, in the amount-printing machine particularly described, when thedollar amount to be printed is less than $10.00, so that all of thedisks 24-28 for the digits of orders of tens of dollars and higherremain in rest position, and the notches 102 in the five correspondingtype wheels 64-68 remain on the marking or printing line. This limit ofthe variable marking position for the member 94 is indicated in dashedlines in FIG. 4. While the timing cam 214 makes its forward rotationfrom the beginning of the operating cycle to the stage 264 shown in FIG.5, the linkage lever 233 rotates counterclockwise,

and the point 234 moves downward as seen in FIG. 4 between stages 262and 264. This causes the end 234 of Wire lever 227 to move downward,urging its other end 232 toward the right. The member 94 thus is urgedby the resilient lever 227 to move toward the right along the printingline, and within the notches in any of the type wheels 68-64 for theorders of digits of highest significance which are set in rest position,to a variable marking position with the right leading edge of thevaluedesignating member 94 abutting against the side of the type wheelfor the order of the highest significance which is set in adigit-representing position, so that its notch 102 is not on theprinting line to permit passage of the extension 99 of thevalue-designating member 94. It will be seen that the value-designatingtype configuration 101 of the member 94 is aligned with the numericaltypes in printing positions along the printing line when the member 94is in its printing position, abutting against the left side of one ofthe type Wheels 63-68, depending on the amount set to be printed. Thebottoms of the notches 102 provide backing for the value-designatingmember 94 when the platen 123 exerts marking or printing pressure.

The type configuration 101 may represent any information affecting theimportance, value, or origin of the amounts or other data printed. Itmay print simply a symbol or slogan which always appears next to thedatum or digit printed by the marking wheel for the highest significantorder which is set to a data-marking position; this prevents insertionof other data or digits to the left of the printed information. Theconfiguration 101 commonly represents the unit of exchange, such as thesymbol for dollars, pounds, or pesos. A preferred configuration printsEXACTLY Thus the printing means effects inked contact of those types 81and of the value-designating type configuration 101 on the printing lineto print the amount selected by the settings of the disks 21-28, withthe value-designating configuration 101 printed closely adjacent to thehighest significant digit in the printed amount.

It appears from the above that the linkage provided by the lever 233from the timing cam member 214 through the resilient lever 227 to thevalue-designating member 94 serves for translating the forward andreturn rotational movements of the timing member, during the periods2624.64 and 265467 respectively (FIG. 5), into respective pivotalmotions of the resilient lever 227 which urge the member 94 respectivelyforward in its path along the printing line to hold it resiliently inits variable printing position and then returning back along theprinting path to its rest position.

Accordingly, by the action of the timing means and its couplings to thevalue-designating member 94 and the locking dogs 241, etc., thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking or printing period 152-154; are held firmly in suchpositions and are removed from such positions thereafter, by the timethe stage 267 is reached, but before the actuation of the clearingmember represented by the portion 191 of curve 186.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be thepreferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the invention. It is aimed, therefore, inthe appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications whichfall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combinationcomprising: a plurality of data-selecting members, each settable from arest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representingpositions for selecting data to be marked on such record web; markingmembers associated with each of said settable data-se- 'lecting membersand movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding markingpositions; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cyclethrough a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating membermovable from a rest position to a variable marking position which islimited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to thecycle, of those of said dataselecting members having a predeterminedsignificance; pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effectingmarking contact of the record web with said marking members andvalue-designating member during a marking period starting in the latterportion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of saidreturn stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft forcarrying all of the data-selecting members which have been set todata-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby,back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means,including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectivelycompleting a forward movement of the timing member before said markingperiod and for effecting return movement of the timing member after saidmarking period but before said actuation of the clearing member;coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to thevaluedesignating member for moving the value-designating member to saidvariable marking position and returning it to its rest position; andlocking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby intoengagement with the marking members to hold such members firmly in theirselected marking positions during said marking period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking operation before the marking period and are removed fromsuch positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

2. In a machine for marking data on a record web which includes aplurality of data-selecting members each settable from a rest positionto any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions forselecting data to be marked on such record web, marking membersassociated with each of said settable data-selecting members and movablethereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions, a driveshaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forwardstroke and a return stroke, a value-designating member movable from arest position to a variable marking position which is limited in eachoperating cycle by the settings made prior to the cycle of those of saiddata-selecting members having a predetermined significance, and pressingmeans actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of therecord web with said marking members and value-designating member duringa marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward strokeand ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke, the combinationtherewith comprising: a clearing member actuated by said drive shaft forcarrying all of said data-selecting members which have been set todata-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby,back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means,including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectivelycompleting a forward movement of the timing member before said markingperiod and for effecting return movement of the timing member after saidmarking period but before said actuation of the clearing member;coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to thevalue-designating member for moving the value-designating member to saidvariable marking position and returning it to its rest position; andlocking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby intoengagement with the marking members to hold such members firmly in theirselected marking positions during said marking period, whereby thevaluedesignating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking operation before the marking period and are removed fromsuch positions thereafter but before said actuation of the clearingmember.

3. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combinationcomprising: a plurality of segmental data-selecting members, eachsettable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession ofprelocated datarepresenting angular positions for selecting data to bemarked on such record web; a plurality of marker carriers gearedindividually to corresponding segmental dataselecting members formovement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions tomarking positions; marking members affixed to said marker carriers andcarried by said movements thereof into positions for making marksrepresenting the data to which the respective segmental members are set;a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through aforward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member movablefrom a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited ineach operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of thoseof said segmental members having a predetermined significance;

pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting markingcontact of the record web with said marking members andvalue-designating member during a marking period starting in the latterportion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of saidreturn stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft forcarrying all of the segmental members which have been set todata-representing positions, and said marker carriers movable thereby,back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means,including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectivelycompleting a forward movement of the timing member before said markingperiod and for effecting return movement of the timing member after saidmarking period but 'before said actuation of the clearing member;coupling means linking said timing member to the value-designatingmember for moving the value-designating member to said variable markingposition and returning it to its rest position; and locking meanscoupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement withthe marker carriers to hold the carriers firmly in their selectedmarking positions during said marking period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking operation before the marking period and are removed fromsuch position thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

4. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combinationcomprising: a plurality of segmental data-selecting members, eachsettable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession ofprelocated datarepresenting angular positions for selecting data to bemarked on such record web; a plurality of marking wheels gearedindividually to corresponding segmental data-selecting members forrotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from restpositions to marking positions; sets of marking members affixed incircumferentia-lly spaced relationship along the peripheries of saidmarking wheels and carried by said rotational movements thereof intopositions for making marks representing the data to which the respectivesegmental members are set; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocatingoperating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; avalue-designating member movable from a rest position to a variablemarking position which is limited in each operating cycle by thesettings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmental membershaving a predetermined significance; pressing means actuated by saiddrive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with saidmarking members and value-designating member during a marking periodstarting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in theearlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by thedrive shaft for carrying all Of the segmental members which have beenset to datarepresenting positions, and said marking wheels movablethereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means,including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectivelycompleting a forward movement of the timing member before said markingperiod and for eifecting return movement of the timing member after saidmarking period but before said actuation of the clearing member;coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to thevalue-designating member for moving the value-designating member to saidvariable marking position and returning it to its rest position; andlocking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby intoengagement with the marking wheels to hold the marking wheels firmly intheir selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking operation before the marking period and are removed fromsuch positions thereafter but before aotuation of the clearing member.

5. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: aplurality of segmental members, one for each order of decimal digits inthe amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a restposition to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angularpositions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; aplurality of type wheels geared individually to corresponding segmentalmembers for rotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith,from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical typesspaced along the peripheries of said type wheels and carried "by saidrotational movements thereof into positions for printing the individualdigits in said amount to which the respective segmental members are set;a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through aforward stroke and a return stroke; a valuedesignating member carrying avalue-designating type configuration and movable from a rest position toa variable printing position which is limited in each operating cycle bythe settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmentalmembers having a predetermined significance; printing means actuated bysaid drive shaft for effecting inked contact of the types which are inprinting positions on the type wheels and of said value-designating typeconfiguration with a Web surface during a printing period starting inthe latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlierportion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the driveshaft for carrying all of the segmental members which have been set todigit-representing positions, and said type wheels movable thereby, backto rest positions after said printing period; timing means, including atiming member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing aforward movement of the timing mem ber before said printing period andfor effecting return movement of the timing member after said printingperiod but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling meansresiliently linking said timing mem. ber to the value-designating memberfor moving the value designating member to said variable printingposition and returning it to its rest position; and locking meanscoupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement withthe type wheels to hold the type wheels firmly in their selectedprinting positions during said printing period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the printing operation before the printing period and are removedfrom such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearingmember.

6. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: aplurality of disks, one for each order of decimal digits in the amountsto be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any ofa succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions forselecting the several digits in an amount to be printed;

a plurality of type wheels, closely spaced along a common axis in thesequence of the orders of increasing significance in said amounts, andgeared individually to corresponding disks for rotational movementthereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printingpositions; sets of numerical types spaced along the peripheries of saidtype wheels, selected types being movable by said rotational movementsof the type wheels into positions along a prelocated printing line,parallel to said axis, for printing the individual digits in said amountto which the respective disks are set, those of said type wheels for theorders of higher significance having radially depressed notches on theirperipheries in the locations which are on said printing line when thecorresponding disks are set to non-digit-representing rest positions; adrive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forwardstroke and a reverse stroke; a valuedesignating member movable from arest position, in a path along said printing line and within saidnotches in any of the type wheels for the orders of highest significancewhich are set in rest position, to a variable printing position with theleading edge of the valuedesignating member abutting against the side ofthe type wheel for the order of the highest significance which is set ina digit-representing position for a current operating cycle, saidvalue-designating member having a valuedesignating type configurationwhich is aligned with said numerical types along said printing line whenthe member is in said printing position and having a depth equal to theradial depth of said notches in the type wheels; printing means actuatedby said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of said types which areon said printing line, and of said value-designating type configuration,with a web surface during a printing period starting in the latterportion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of saidreturn stroke to print the amount selected by the settings of said diskswith the valuedesignating configuration printed closely adjacent to thehighest significant digit in such printed amount; a clearing memberactuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the disks which havebeen set to digit-representing positions, and said type wheels movablethereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; timingmeans, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft foreffectively completing a forward movement of the timing member beforesaid printing period and for effecting return movement of the timingmember after said printing period but before said actuation of theclearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing memberto the value-designating member for moving the value-designating memberto said variable printing position and returning it to its restposition; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movementthereby into engagement with the type wheels to hold the type wheelsfirmly in their selected printing positions during said printing period,whereby the valuedesignating member and the locking means are moved intopositions for the printing operation before the printing period and areremoved from such positions thereafter but before actuation of theclearing member.

7. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: aplurality of disks, one for each order of decimal digits in the amountsto be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any ofa succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions forselecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; a plurality oftype wheels, closely spaced along a common axis in the sequence of theorders of increasing significance in said amounts, and gearedindividually to corresponding disks for rotational movement thereby, butnot coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printing positions; setsof numerical types spaced along the peripheries of said type wheels,selected types being movable by said rotational movements of the typewheels into positions along a prelocated printing line, parallel to saidaxis, for printing the individual digits in said amount to which therespective disks are set, those of said type wheels for the orders ofhigher significance having radially depressed notches on theirperipheries in the locations which are on said printing line when thecorresponding disks are set to non-digit-representing rest positions; adrive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forwardstroke and a reverse stroke; a valuedesignating member movable from arest position, in a path along said printing line and within saidnotches in any of the type wheels for the orders of highest significancewhich are set in rest position, to a variable printing position with theleading edge of the value-designating member abutting against the sideof the type wheel for the order of the highest significance which is setin a digit-representing position for the current operating cycle, saidvalue-designating member having a valuedesignating type configurationwhich is aligned with said numerical types along said printing line whenthe member is in said printing position and having a depth equal to theradial depth of said notches in the type wheels; printing means actuatedby said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of said types which areon said printing line, and of said value-designating type configuration,with a web surface during a printing period starting in the latterportion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of saidreturn stroke to print the amount selected by the settings of said diskswith the value-designating configuration printed closely adjacent to thehighest significant digit in such printed amount; a clearing memberactuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the disks which havebeen set to digit-representing positions, and said type Wheels movablethereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; timingmeans, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft foreffectively completing a forward movement of the timing member beforesaid printing period and for effecting return movement of the timingmember after said printing period but before said actuation of theclearing member; an elongated resilient lever of spring metal, pivotedfor rotation generally in a plane including said printing line, andconnected to said valuedesignating member at a connection point on saidresilient lever distant from its pivot point; a linkage, coupling saidtiming member to a point on said resilient lever removed from its pivotpoint but less distant therefrom than said connection point of thevalue-designating member, for translating said forward and returnmovements of the timing member into respective pivotal motions of saidresilient lever which urge said valuedesignating member respectivelyforward in its path along said printing line to hold it resiliently inits variable printing position and then returning back along said pathto its rest position; and locking means also coupled to said timingmember for movement thereby into engagement with the type wheels to holdthe type wheels firmly in their selected printing positions during saidprinting period, whereby the value-designating member and the lockingmeans are moved into positions for the printing operation before theprinting period, are held in such positions during the printing period,and are removed from such positions thereafter but before said actuationof the clearing member.

8. In a machine for marking data on a record web which includes aplurality of data-selecting members each settable from a rest positionto any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions forselecting data to be marked on such record web, marking membersassociated with each of said settable data-selecting members and movablethereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions, a driveshaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forwardstroke and a return stroke, a Value-designating member movable from arest position to a variable marking position which is limited in eachoperating cycle by the settings made prior to the cycle of those of saiddata-selecting members having a predetermined significance, and pressingmeans actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of therecord web with said marking members and value-designating member duringa marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward strokeand ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke, the combinationtherewith comprising: a clearing member actuated by said drive shaft forcarrying all of said dataselecting members which have been set todata-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby,back to rest positions after said marking period; a driving memberrotated by said drive shaft and having two peripherally separated,opposed, pawl-engaging shoulders; a timing member rotatable coaXiallywith said driving member; two oppositely disposed pawls carried by thetiming member, one of said pawls being pivotally disposed to engage oneof said two shoulders and start a forward rotation of the timing membernear the beginning of said forward stroke, and the other pawl beingpivotally disposed to engage the other shoulder and start a reverserotation of the timing member at a time during said reverse stroke aftersaid marking period but before said actuation of the clearing member;pawl-disengaging means having surfaces, disposed in the paths of travelof said pawls carried by the timing member, for pivotally deflectingsaid one pawl out of engagement with said one shoulder to stop saidforward rotation of the timing member before said marking period, andfor pivotally deflecting said other pawl out of engagement with saidother shoulder to stop said reverse rotation of the timing member beforesaid actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resilientlylinking said timing member to the value-designating member for utilizingsaid forward rotation of the timing member to move the value-designatingmember to said variable marking position and for utilizing said reverserotation of the timing member to return the value-designating member toits rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member forutilizing said rotations thereof to move said locking means intoengagement with the marking members and hold such members firmly intheir selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the marking operation before the marking period and are removed fromsuch positions thereafter but before said actuation of the clearingmember.

9. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: aplurality of segmental members, one for each order of decimal digits inthe amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a restposition to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angularpositions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; aplurality of type wheels geared individually to corresponding segmentalmembers for rotational move ment thereby, but not coaxially therewith,from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical typesspaced along the peripheries of said type wheels and carried by saidrotational movements thereof into positions for printing the individualdigits in said amount to which the respective segmental members are set;a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through aforward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member carryinga value-designating type configuration and movable from a rest positionto a variable printing position which is limited in each operating cycleby the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmentalmembers having a predetermined significance; printing means actuated bysaid drive shaft for effecting inked contact of the types which are inprinting positions on the type wheels and of said value-designating typeconfiguration with a Web surface during a printing period starting inthe latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlierportion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the driveshaft for carrying all of the segmental members which have been set todigit-representing positions, and said type wheels movable thereby, backto rest positions after said printing period; a driving member rotatedby said drive shaft and having two peripherally separated, opposed,pawl-engaging shoulders; a timing member rotatable coaxially with saiddriving member; two oppositely disposed pawls carried by the timingmember, one of said pawls being pivotally disposed to engage one of saidtwo shoulders and start a forward rotation of the timing member near thebeginning of said forward stroke, and the other pawl being pivotallydisposed to engage the other shoulder and start a reverse rotation ofthe timing member at a time during said reverse stroke after saidprinting period but before said actuation of the clearing member;pawl-disengaging means having surfaces, disposed in the paths of travelof said pawls carried by the timing member, for pivotally deflectingsaid one pawl out of engagement with said one shoulder to stop saidforward rotation of the timing member before said printing period, andfor pivotally deflecting said other pawl out of engagement with saidother shoulder to stop said reverse rotation of the timing member beforesaid actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resilientlylinking said timing member to the value-designating member for utilizingsaid forward rotation of the timing member to move the value-designatingmember to said variable printing position and for utilizing said reverserotation of the timing member to return the valuedesignating member toits rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member forutilizing said rotations thereof to move said locking means intoengagement with the type wheels and hold the type wheels firmly in theirselected printing positions during said printing period, whereby thevalue-designating member and the locking means are moved into positionsfor the printing operation before the printing period and are removedfrom such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearingmember.

No references cited.

